Walter London, a trader with Coffey Inc., said he was so "depressed" that even a clown's mirth could do nothing to help.

"There was no lighter mood on the floor. Living this day in and day out is not fun," he said.

Some analysts said the attempt by the NYSE to send in clowns to brighten the grim mood was childish.

"It's like they're trying to be the Make-A-Wish Foundation, cheering up a terminally ill child," said Bill King, chief market strategist of M. Ramsey King Securities in Chicago. "It's a great metaphor for a financial system that has become a joke.